The brain-training experts at LearningRx are always on the lookout for new research about the brain. Here are five of their top picks for the most interesting stories of 2010:
1. Brain training in urban schools: Funded by a grant for the National Science Foundation, a brain-training program increased the cognitive skills of kids in some of the worst performing schools in Virginia. The pilot program was so successful that Dr. Oliver Hill, Jr. testified before a Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) education hearing saying the program had “the potential to revolutionize education in general, and STEM education in particular.” Before the pilot brain-training studies, only one school in the district was accredited. Today, four of seven earned accreditation; the remaining three met 26 of the 29 indicators; and Petersburg High School earned its full accreditation in the State Standards of Learning tests for the very first time.
2. Children taking ADHD medication: According to a survey done by Consumer Reports National Research Center, 84 percent of kids diagnosed with ADHD take a prescription, despite the fact that many experience side effects from the stimulants.
3. Reversing age-related cognitive decline: A study from the Univ. of California, San Francisco showed that brain training actually reversed the damage to declining brains. The study (which was done on rats) found that after brain training, the brain cell health and myelin density both improved in the primary auditory brain regions to nearly the level seen in young rats. Post-mortem analysis found the rats that had gone through brain training also had more inhibitory neurons and more specialized cells (for sensory perception and brain plasticity).
4. The Army’s new blood test to detect Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): The Army has developed a blood test that shows biomarkers (the presence of certain proteins that are released into the bloodstream if the brain is jolted). The proteins are unique – and only appear in the blood when the brain cells are injured.
5. Preventing, slowing and treating Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) with brain training: Research suggests that the benefits of brain training reflect increases in cognitive reserve, which allows the brain to perform tasks even if there is damage to the pathways between brain cells. One study showed that those with the highest cognitive reserves had a 46 percent reduced risk of developing dementia compared to those with lower reserves. In addition, brain training might be able to partially reverse dementia even after the symptoms are apparent.
About LearningRx
LearningRx specializes in treating the cause – not the symptoms – of learning struggles. The programs’ game-like exercises and 1:1 trainer-to-student ratios provide guaranteed dramatic improvement in as little as 12 to 24 weeks. With 71 centers across the U.S., LearningRx can help anyone – from 5 to 85 – increase the speed, power or function of their brain. The brain training company averages a 14.99-point increase in IQ.
To learn more or to find a center near you, visit www.learningrx.com.
